The campaigning member of parliament said there was "dire access to dentists" in her constituency of Dewsbury, Mirfield, Denby Dale and Kirkburton.

The inequality in access to surgeries offering NHS services has been highlighted for more than five years, including by government funded patient champion Healthwatch.

Miss Sherriff pressed the Prime Minister to take responsibility.

She said: "A dental practice in my constituency is just this week being forced to close due to unfair NHS dental contracts – leaving yet another neighbourhood without any dental service at all.

“Residents who urgently need care or cannot travel have had to get treatment from Dentaid – a charity set up to provide dental services in the world’s most deprived countries.

“Does the Prime Minister accept that the real decay is in the values of a society that does not provide free healthcare to all its citizens, and that it is her government that is responsible?

“And when will she keep her promises to my constituents, and guarantee that all of them, wherever they live, can access NHS dental care when they need it?”

A dentist working for charity Dentaid at work in North Kirklees last year (Image: publicity picture)

Miss Sherriff said tooth decay remained the leading cause of hospital admissions for children, with particularly high levels in the Dewsbury constituency.

Five-year-old children in Dewsbury are 3.5 times more likely to suffer from tooth decay than their peers in the constituency of Tory leadership contender and former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

ExaminerLive has previously revealed the inequality of NHS dental care within Kirklees, with patients in the ward offered a tiny fraction of the NHS appointments compared with Greenhead ward in Huddersfield, where dental practices are clustered to make cash from wealthier patients seeking private services.

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Speaking after PMQs, Miss Sherriff added: “I’m meeting with local commissioners this week to press for a solution to the lack of any NHS dentistry in Ravensthorpe.

"Travelling out of area is not possible for some, often those who are most at risk of poor dental health.

“After years of inadequate access, local people know this is just the latest evidence of woeful dental provision.

"The government must do more to deliver on promises to improve access to NHS dental services and address regional inequalities.

“Local people should not be left to go without dental care – the costs of tooth decay far outweigh the costs of prevention and it’s local patients who are paying price.”

The British Dental Association backed Miss Sherriff's work.

Writing on Twitter they said: "Thanks to PaulaSherriff MP for raising issues with access to NHS dental services and the failed dental contract at today's PMQs.

"It's high time the Government started treating the crisis in NHS dentistry with the urgency it deserves. "

A spokesperson for NHS England and NHS Improvement in North East and Yorkshire said: “We are reviewing how we can improve access to NHS dentists across our region using our existing budget, paying particular attention to areas where we know people can find it difficult to register with a regular dentist.

“We remain in regular contact with local MPs, councillors and partner organisations in and around North Kirklees and will continue to keep them informed of our dental commissioning plans.

“Patients needing NHS treatment can find a nearby dentist at www.nhs.uk and by calling local practices to ask for an appointment. When patients require urgent dental treatment they can call NHS 111 for free 24-hours-day and a clinical expert will assess their needs and offer them an appointment with a local provider, so they can get seen as quickly as possible.”